Rhodium is the finish of choice for top end fine jewelry. Most high end white gold and platinum jewelry seen in boutiques are plated with rhodium. This is because platinum and white gold by itself is beautiful, but over time the finish can be easily scratched and become very dull. This is very true for white gold because high karat gold is often times very soft. Rhodium is an extremely hard metal which is rated a full 6.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. When platinum and white gold is finished with a rhodium plate, an invisible shield is created. The metal bonds very well and doesn’t quickly rub off like what you’d expect most plated items to do. This invisible shield gives years of scratch resistant enjoyment. In addition to adding a protective layer, the rhodium finish beautifies the piece of jewelry as well. Rhodium is highly reflective and it has a gorgeous deep luster that is a bit darker than white gold, which is just a plain bright white finish. The deep dark luster combined with the high reflection produces a truly unique finish that differentiates the high end products from what can be easily mistaken as stainless steel or silver.